Reclosure container



Dec. 11, 1956 A. T. AUGENSEN RECLQSURE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 1. 1953 m m m m Alf T RV6VF 140651551 By dw w HTTOIQ/Vfy RECLOSURE CONTAINER Alf Trygve Augensen, San Mateo, Calif., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 1, 1953, Serial No. 383,547

3 Claims. (Cl. 220-48) The present invention relates to cans or containers of the type which are hermetically sealed and which after being opened are utilized as canisters to hold products which are gradually used in small quantities, such for example as coffee and shortening cans and has particular reference to such a container which may be readily opened by an ordinary can opener without leaving a dangerous exposed sharp edge and which includes a selfcontained seated auxiliary friction plug cover which is utilized as a reclosure after the original closure is removed.

The usual presently marketed type of hermetically sealed reclosure container is opened by means of a tear strip extending around the body of the container just below the top end seam. Upon severing and rolling up the tear strip by means of a slotted key the remaining end portion serves as a friction plug or slip cover reclosure for the container. This type of reclosure engages with an internally mounted collar on the body of the container, which collar provides a friction seat for resealing the container.

This construction while satisfactory is expensive in that considerable material is utilized by the internal collar, the key and the body blank which must include a projecting tear strip tongue, in addition to requiring a number of extra manufacturing operations residing in; the blank layout, score line production and key making and welding equipment.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive air-tight reclosure container which eliminates the tear strip, the internal collar, and the key and which container may be opened in a manner similar to that of a conventional container by use of any available type of can opener.

Another object is the provision in a conventional type hermetic container with double seamed ends, of 'a separate friction plug reclosure member which is independent of the container end member and which tightly fits into the end portion of the container .body adjacent the original end-member and which may be readily disengaged from and replaced in the body of the container when the end member is initially cut away to open the container.

Another object is the provision of such a container wherein the cut edge produced by severing the container end member is spaced away from the edge of the reclosure member so that upon removal and replacement of the reclosure member the raw edge of the cut portion will be in a relatively safe position.

Another object is the provision of such a container wherein a friction seat for the reclosure member is formed integral with the body of the container so as to eliminate the necessity of extra parts in the container.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

2 Figure l is a perspective view of a sealed container embodying the present invention;

Fig. -2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the top of the container taken substantially along a vertical plane indicated by the lines 2-2 in Fig. 1, with parts broken away and also showing parts of a rotary cutter;

Fig. 3 is) an exploded perspective sectional view of the container parts shown in Fig. 2 with parts broken away and showing the original end member severed and removed and the reclosure member disengaged from the body of the container; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective sectional view of a fragmentary portion of a modified form of the reclosure member shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention the drawings illustrate a cylindrical container of sheet metal such as tinplate or other suitable material, having a tubular body A (Fig. 1), and top and bottom end closures B, C permanently secured thereto by means of hermetic end seams D. The end seams D preferably are standard double seams in which flange parts on the body A and the closures B, C are interfolded, with a packing or sealing compound. interposed between the folds of the seams to effect hermetic end seals for the container.

The body portion A of the container has a substantially annular cylindrical wall 11 (see also Figs. 2 and 3) with an inwardly projecting annular bead 12 formed therein adjacent the top end and providing a dispensing mouth for the container. A portion 13 of the body wall 11 located above the annular bead 12 is substantially vertical and terminates in an outward flange 14 to provide a seat for the top end closure or cover B.

The top end or cover B is a conventional can end, having a substantially flat countersunk panel wall 16 surrounded by an upright wall 17 connected by a rounded corner portion 18. The wall 17 of the countersunk cover B fits within the can body A and engages against the upper portion 13 of the body wall 11 when the cover B is in place on the container. At its upper edge the upright wall 17 merges into an outward flange 15 which overlies and is interfolded with the body flange 14 to provide the hermetic end seam D which permanently secures the cover B to the body A.

A reclosure member E is provided inside the can just beneath the cover B and frictionally seated within the inside diameter of the annular bead 12 in the can body for, use in reclosing the can after the cover B is severed to initially open the can. This "reclosure member 'E preferably is formed with a horizontal countersunk panel wall 21 and a surrounding vertical frictional wall 22'. The outside diameter of the lower portion of the friction'wall 22 forms a. tight annular friction line fit or contact with the inside diameter of the radially inwardlyextending an'-' nular head 12 formed in the can body. For this purpose the bead 12 in the region of its inside diameter is pro vided with a sharply curved friction seat face 23. In order that the reclosure member will not fall or be pushed completely into the container when it is being used as a reclosure, the lower friction wall portion 22 merges into an upper radially projecting outwardly oifset stop wall section 24 having a diameter slightly greater than the internal diameter of the annular bead 12, thereby setting off a stop shoulder 25 on the reclosure member disposed between the lower and upper frictional wall sections 22, 24. If desired, however, instead of having this larger diameter offset wall portion 24, the same effect may be achieved by forming an annular head or I alternatively a plurality of bead projections 26 (Fig. 4)

extending outwardly from the wall section 22.

The upper edge of the outwardly offset stop wall section 24 of the reclosure member E is preferably bent inwardly upon itself to form a curled or rounded edge 27 extending around the periphery of the reclosure member. The purpose of this curled edge 27 is to provide a fingerhold whereby the fingers may engage the curl or underneath the curl and lift up thereon for removing the reclosure member to reopen the container, and to also provide a smooth surface for pushing down upon the accessible wall portion of the reclosure when it is desired to reclose the container.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the top of the curled edge 27 of the reclosure member contacts the inner face of the panel wall 16 of the primary can cover B, thereby conserving packing space and materials and holding the reclosure against displacement during shipment and storage of the container. It should be noted that there is an annular clearance space 23 created between the stop wall section 24 of the reclosure member E, the upper portion ofthe bead 12 and the wall portion 13 of the body wall 11 of the container to provide room for a can opener used to sever the permanent cover B from the body A when the can is initially opened.

The can may be initially opened with any type of commercial opener that will sever the panel wall 16 of the cover B generally in the region of the rounded corner 18 of the cover. For the purpose of illustration, Fig. 2 of the drawing shows principal parts of a conventional can opener having a rotary cutter 31 with a sharp annular cutting edge 32. A propelling or feeding roller 33 cooperates with the cutter 31 and is adapted to frictionally engage and ride beneath the double seam D in a wellknown manner. When the panel wall 16 is severed from the cover B the upright wall section 17 of the can cover remains attached to the body wall portion 13 and the cut edge of this wall section lies close to the body wall portion 13 where it is unable to inflict injury to a user of the can.

Hence when the permanent cover B is severed to separate and permit removal of the central panel wall 16 thereof to open the can, the reclosure member E, frictionally seated within the diametrical friction face 23 of the body bead 12, is thus exposed for ready removal by merely pulling up on its curled edge 27 to gain entrance to the can contents. The reclosure member B may thus be used for repeatedly reopening and reclosing the can until the contents of the can are entirely exhausted.

It is thought that the invention and may of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A sealed hermetic container comprising, a tubular body, an end closure permanently secured to an end of said body in an end seam for sealing said container, said end closure having a countersunk panel adapted to be severed close to said end seam by a cutting tool to initially open said container, a peripheral bead formed in said body adjacent and in longitudinally spaced relation to said end seam, said bead projecting transversely inwardly and terminating in an annular friction seat disposed radially inwardly of the plane of the body wall beyond the severing range of said cutting tool, and a separate removable friction Plug reclosure member disposed within said sealed container and frictionally engaging said annular bead seat to locate said reclosure member beyond the severing range of said cutting tool, said reclosure member being manually removable from and replaceable on said head seat to provide access to the container contents and for reclosing said container after an initial opening thereof by severance of the countersunk panel of said end closure.

2. A sealed hermetic container of the character defined in claim 1 wherein the severable countersunk panel portion of said end closure is disposed in engagement with the seated reclosure member to retain the latter against displacement from said body bead until the container is initially opened as described.

3. A sealed cylindrical sheet metal container, comprising a tubular body having countersunk end members double seamed thereto in permanently secured end seams, said body having an integrally formed inwardly extending annular bead adjacent and spaced longitudinally from one of said closure members to constitute a cylindrical friction seat spaced radially inwardly from the plane of the body wall, and a cylindrical plug reclosure member having a surrounding upright laterally offset friction wall disposed in frictional engagement with said annular bead seat to confine and protect the subjacent container contents, said reclosure member friction wall terminating at its outer end in a curled peripheral edge disposed in substantial contact with said seamed countersunk end closure member to hold the plug reclosure member in firm engagement with said bead seat, whereby after initial opening of the container by circnmferentially cutting away the countersunk portion of said seamed end closure member adjacent to and radially outwardly of said plug closure member, the aforesaid curled wall edge of the latter may be manually grasped to facilitate its removal from and replacement on said annular body bead seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 985,106 Bradshaw Feb. 21, 1911 1,451,875 Hothersall Apr. 17, 1923 1,695,100 Hodgson Dec. 11, 1928 2,027,438 Karl Jan. 14, 1936 2,428,394 Socke Oct. 7, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 172,226 Great Britain Dec. 8, 1921 497,892 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1938 

